War of the Worlds (Revisioned from Marsdog) (ARC 1 - MIGHT AND MAGIC)
by StrikerStanding692
Summary: With no other choice than to move into another world, Irons initiates Project Magic, a last-ditch to consolidate his efforts and pick up technology and ground from a new world. Later... the witches wouldn't expect their new visitors... a multi-national mercenary company staging an invasion to make the new world their own...
1. Prologue

**_January 8, 2061…_**

**_The Invasion of New Baghdad by the 37th Airborne and Core Personnel of Sentinel…_**

**_Jonathan Irons – _**_If there's one thing I've learned about Sentinel and their allies, it's that they don't want to see my point. Everything's beginning to fall apart and we couldn't hold our ground. So it's come to my attention that we needed to prioritize. If we can't beat the world, we may as well make another our home. And recently… we've finished a project and determined that there is a parallel dimension we haven't explored yet._

In one of the corridors of the main buildings of New Baghdad owned by ATLAS, two mercenary team leaders were walking beside Irons. "Tell me something now!" Irons said it with his calm demeanor still existing.

One team leader reports: "Sentinel was able to take out our primary and secondary defense perimeters. They're in a one-way drop mission and they're just heading in."

"My best contactors are along for the ride on this one. You know what you must do, Herbert. Destroy what's remaining of MANTICORE."

"Sir?! Don't you think we should-"

"I got better plans, son. Relay that to your team. Move it." Irons ordered it and that team leader left the two behind. "Okay Collins. You better have an update for me."

Collins then replied. "Project Magic's waiting for your signal. They were nervous about this coming alive, but here we are."

"Alright, this is what's going to happen: You know that you have a responsibility over our men and women, correct? Well you're trusted that now. You're in charge here." Irons stopped in front of a closed-door elevator and pressed a button before he had his fingers scanned via biometrics. He even leaned down to have his eyes scanned.

Collins nodded. "I'm ready, sir. It's an honor. We won't let you down." He then walked to another direction and proceeded in a jog, leaving Irons behind.

And Jonathan finds the elevator was open, gets in, before it starts to head down.

_I think for all the good reasons that there are more than just principles to uphold… I think it's the legacy that mattered. The thought of having lost family twice… My son, and the son who I thought who was Will… It made me think. How does a simple war for territory help anyone? It doesn't. That's why this company has always been around. We profit, we provide service, and we provide a sense of stability. And if there's a problem with the methods, maybe those who conduct those methods should be looked at, but there's nothing to look at, because this all started with Will's death. And I for one will not watch the world I know abuse warmongering in exchange for paying lives. I have a righteous plan._

_And no one is going to stop me. Not now. Not when I've gone so far._

And feeling as if all the gunfire had stopped ringing from above. He was feeling slight pressure from the depth, but he knows this is all worth easing, as what awaits him seemed to what he thought was destiny.

The elevator doors open… and Irons sees the beauty of the Project… a ring with a functioning portal in its blue fluidic form is showing. As he walked out of the elevator to see it for himself… he recognized that this was more than a success. It was progress no one else from the outside world saw coming…

"Too many steps ahead," Irons muttered to himself. "And a step next to a new world."

**_REVISIONED WORKS by StrikerStanding692 (alterego elitelenny223)_**

**_Original Work by author Marsdog:_**

**_"WAR OF THE WORLDS – Revisioned (Arc 1)"_**

**_Arc Title: "Might & Magic"_**

Everyone at the underground facility next to the ring portal that was working was listening to the voice of Irons who speaking through the facility's intercom system:

_Men and Women of Atlas. We've waited for this day to come, as we fought for a long period and sacrificed so much just to bring our goal of peace. Those who don't understand our deep motivations to what we desire of this world don't know how to change, but we do. Which is what makes us succeed. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have achieved the 'impossible' as others would define. Now all we just do, is move forward._

_We will make it our life long mission from this point on: We will be victorious, and beat back our enemies, winning this war no matter the cost. And all I ask, is that you hold out for that day, when we will march through the defeated capitals of the world. A plan is in place and it will end this war once and for all. At the end of it: We emerge victorious. Serve our ambitions, and you will all be pioneers to the new world that awaits us._


	2. Invasion

"Invasion"

"Ugh… I don't feel too good…" Yoshika made something clear at the back of the army truck she was riding. '_I should be reminded again… Shirley can get very excited behind the accelerator in the open plains… At least…_' Then her attention is shifted towards her surroundings. She never thought of arriving in Rome, and it was her first time… "Wow… It's so beautiful…!"

**_City of Rome, Romagna, 1945_**

It was an ordinary day but it was also a time for an assignment. Yoshika Miyafuji, Francesca Lucchini and Charlotte 'Shirley' Yeager of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing were on a supply run. And the first thing Yoshika was amazed of Rome was the beautiful sights of the historical city. Lucchini claimed that Rome was her birthplace, and Shirley even said Lucchini had a right to brag about it that way. It at least turns Yoshika away from the memories she experienced with Shirley's bumpy driving for once.

Eventually when the truck turned into a place Lucchini pointed out, they stopped just at the side of the road. Dismounting, they realized they were in front of an ordinary store. It looks the same from the outside with the other shops but it was a different story when they entered. Yoshika eyed the cooking pots, Shirley eyed the imaginative clothing Barkhorn could fit in, and Lucchini was just helping around to find other things the unit members might need like a pillow for Eila, Black Tea for Lynne, possibly some flower seeds that Perrine would appreciate, an outfit for Trude's sister Chris, and an alarm clock for Hartmann as requested by Trude. Yoshika knew that they weren't gonna stay in one store, so she can at least explore around to see if the things they need are in there. If not, they could move on.

They took their time. Shirley had a laugh when she imagined the dress being on Barkhorn instead of her sister. They were able to secure an extra radio for the unit. And things changed when their shopping was interrupted. A loud explosion shakes the building and shakes everything in the shop. All three witches lost their footing as it happened. Shirley's back hits the floor and Yoshika lands right on top of that large chest. Briefly, Yoshika struggled to get off the chest at this unprecedented time.

"What the…? Yoshika…" Shirley gently pushes Yoshika, who was uneasily laughing for having to lie on large bosoms. "Not now, okay…?" More explosions were heard from outside, but the shakes weren't that severe and she stood up to get her bearings. Checking on the shop owner, she sees he's setting himself straight as well. "What the hell's going on? Lucchini?!" She looked for Francesca around the shop with Yoshika behind her. With the shop damaged, she noticed there was broken glass everywhere. That made her think. "Crap…!" She then led herself and Yoshika to a spot they didn't look at and what she called was right. Lucchini can be seen lying face down on the floor with glass shards attached on her back. "Damn it…!" And she sees Yoshika immediately kneeling down to attend to the injured witch.

Lucchini was just coming to and stirring with pain. She grits her teeth, realizing her back is in pain and was whimpering. Opening her eyes slowly, she was sensing the shards were being removed… "Y-Yoshika…!"

"Just lie still and save your strength!" Yoshika replied. "I don't know what happened but we don't have time to stay if we're in a bad spot…"

Shirley kneels down and holds Lucchini's hand. "You'll be okay, Lucchini. Hang tight."

Yoshika then finished removing all the glass shards and started to deploy her magic, revealing her familiar features before initiating her healing magic, releasing a blue glow from her hands until an aura starts to spread to Lucchini's back. "This might not be new but… I feel strange."

"How strange?" Shirley asked.

"I don't know. But for some reason… There's no Neuroi." Yoshika briefly looked at Shirley. "Sensed it?"

Shirley shook her head. "Me neither."

Lucchini was mostly healed as she got her arms to move and she grits her teeth, even prompting Yoshika to stop the process. "Yoshika, I'm good… What… was that…?"

"Clueless as you are. We need to get back to the truck! I'm helping you up! Yoshika, you too!" Shirley, with Yoshika, lifts Lucchini off the floor and got her to stand, while the anti-aircraft guns in Rome were heard opening fire. "What the hell is this? It's an attack but there's no Neuroi… I don't like this. Let's go!" All three go out of the shop with Lucchini being somehow assisted by the other two.

And Lucchini chose to stop and hang on to the truck just to look around. What shocked her was something she couldn't believe at first. "What the…?! That's definitely not Neuroi!" And Shirley and Yoshika were with her thoughts that time, as they all see the same thing.

Huge blue lights emanated from the sky shaped like round holes and they were releasing large vessels. Smaller ones shaped like aircraft poured onto the city as well, firing rockets at what Shirley believes to be the city's defenses. Anti-aircraft guns engage the newcoming invasion force, but they were being outran by faster aircraft comings from the holes.

Yoshika could hear screams of those who wanted to get away from the conflict. She could smell blood and powder all around her. This wasn't a Neuroi attack. She felt as if this invasion wasn't anything she'd expect. Deaths were rising and she's beginning to fold. She begins to grit her teeth and cover her ears, before she screamed. She couldn't take the voices anymore. The suffering voices made her begin to panic and it was breaking her slowly.

Lucchini was attending to Yoshika and Shirley followed suit. "Lucchini, Miyafuji… We gotta step it up and move!"

Lucchini looked at Shirley and back at Yoshika. "Well I'm not leaving Yoshika like this." So she forced Yoshika to stand. And with the help of Shirley, the three started to run off the scene.

**_501st Joint Fighter Wing Romagna Stationed Base…_**

Minna was hard at work while the supply run was still being done for the day and she was on her desk, making sure the documents she receives are being appropriated well into her time. She could get assistance from Mio, but she always had the extra eye on details. Usually, the duty would just be up to her. Her hands were aching since she's usually writing on some of them. She's thinking of the medal she could receive once she gets the 200th kill, but it certainly pays off if she does what she does best without expecting so much.

Gertrude Barkhorn was running at one of the corridors then made a sharp turn and kept running before she slowed down as she reached that door. She bursts into the Commander's Room, finding Minna busy with paperwork. "Commander! I just received word."

Minna winced at the sudden appearance of Barkhorn and stood up from behind her desk. "Well?"

"The city's under attack."

"Impossible!" Minna stepped off her desk and approached Barkhorn. "Neuroi weren't due crossing the border yet!"

"Except this one isn't Neuroi in nature, Minna." Trude groaned, gritting her teeth on what she's thinking.

"Well, speak up."

"That's just it! What I got in mind doesn't make any sense!" Barkhorn spoke and took a deep breath before speaking up again. "Blue holes of light appeared over the city. Two large vessels, acting like ships, descended from those holes along with smaller ones, and those were aircraft. The city's defenses were overwhelmed with the invaders' sheer firepower. And from the looks of it, the technology these invaders have aren't from this world at all."

"Aircraft that can overwhelm even anti-air emplacements…?" Minna muttered the words aloud and focused on Barkhorn. "How fast are we losing Rome?!"

"With the rate the attack is going, it's safe to say the emplacements are getting hit too and all of them would be dust in a matter of minutes. Ground reserves should hold them off but it wouldn't be enough."

"Damn it… We got no options here. MIyafuji, Lucchini and Yeager are in the city. Sound off now!" As soon as Minna gives the order, Barkhorn nods and runs off to get the girls ready. The phone then rang and she immediately walked to it and answered, just before she hits a nearby button to sound the base's siren. "Wilcke."

"_Hello?! Wing Commander Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke!_" A male's voice was heard along with the background of gunfire and explosions. "_The 504th Aerial, or whatever's left of them will scramble over the city! You have to link up with them and get these invaders off our city!_"

"Give me a situation report!"

"_City's main perimeter defenses are down. Ground reserves have been deployed but we're getting gunned down-! GRENADE!_" An explosion was heard and cuts the call short.

MInna slams the phone's handset down and leaves the room. "Just what I needed…"


	3. The Battle Of Rome

"The Battle Of Rome"

**_City of Rome, Romagna, 1945_**

**_A city under siege…_**

Nothing was ever the same from everyone who was there. Civilians were on the run and mostly taking cover behind the buildings as the invaders fired explosives, destroying and damaging buildings. And right along the casualties counted were several civilians and a lot of ground troop reserves.

At this time, Maria was running for a spare bunker in the city while being escorted by two guards running behind her. As one of the remaining people in power, she needed to get her people together. That changed when she was ambushed when she reached the military headquarters of the city. An ATLAS Warbird descended quick in the area and an AST drops down, shaking the ground as it impacts on the ground. Opening fire on the guards, the rounds did the work and bodies fell where they stand. She then took to the other direction and the guards tried to follow, only finding they were attacked next, with one escort kicked away and the other hit with a flying to the heart. The man who attacked the guards de-cloaks, revealing himself to Maria. And as she was about to run, another man who jumped off the roof lands near where she was and grabs her.

"Sector 05's ours." The other man said to the one who restrained Maria. "More cavalry. Look."

Most eyes from ATLAS mercenaries were able to pick up communications from assault airships coming from the gateways. Then, fighter jets started to arrive in through them.

"Ghost, we gotta move!" The other man said and kept watch.

The man named Ghost, the one who restrained Maria tied wrist-wraps on her hands behind her back. "We know who you are. Your civvie clothes don't fool us. And just to let you know… The city is ours."

Maria grits her teeth and glares at her captor. "Say what you will! You may as well leave."

"It's actually true. All you gotta do is be a good girl. Maybe you'll get to keep your legs."

"Romagna will never fall to the likes of you. It never fell to Neuroi. You won't make much difference to us."

Ghost used his elbow and hits the backside of her head. "Tell yourself that all you want. It doesn't change a thing. Prophet, Atlas One-Three Actual. We got the Principle!"

"_Copy, One-Three. Standby for extraction. What's your SITREP?_"

Ghost keeps forcing Maria to walk while jogging for the objective. "We're at full strength and attacking the HQ!"

As the military headquarters is kept on being attacked, armed divisions from the Romagnan military are still being coordinated from a few rooms, where one of them houses a Major General of the army. With the ATLAS forces dropping on the HQ, interior spaces were eventually being invaded, while drop pods are crashing on the roof. One even managed to break through the barrier of the HQ and were sending troops inside directly. One by one, guards were being eliminated. Rooms were being cleared and mercenaries killed more guards.

The major general had no choice but to transfer the armed forces' authority to a colonel somewhere in the city. Then another order was issued at once: Burn all documents and destroy all communications equipment to prevent the enemy from using them.

Even if what was done to prevent ATLAS from using the equipment was to benefit the city's military, it didn't change the fact that their weapons wouldn't be able to pierce through the armor of their enemy. As a result, everyone else in the military HQ were brutally massacred.

Meanwhile, Shirley, Francesca and Yoshika were running for it, going past streets that have been filled with corpses and other civilians running away. Lucchini made sure to keep her hand on Yoshika's as the Fusojin couldn't do anything else but panic, run, and scream as she would suffer mentally. Civilians running in one direction would evidently be shot by an enemy squad with no mercy in their eyes at all. With the things Shirley has seen from the enemy like cloaking appearances and the weapons they hold, Shirley knew that who they're facing is clearly overmatched against the forces in the city.

Finding time to take cover, Shirley was able to get a transmission from the city's military communications grid using her earpiece. "_This is Colonel Amone Talone! Major General Amore Costanzo is believed to be KIA and I'm assuming command! All forces, fall back and regroup at the Coliseum! I say again… All forces fall back and regroup at the Coliseum! Out!_"

Shirley looked at Lucchini who was still holding Yoshika. "Lucchini! Got your earpiece and listening in?"

"Yeah! I heard! Coliseum, right?!" Lucchini asked rhetorically.

"Your bloodied shirt should have given things away, but I'm glad you're okay. Is Yoshika still-?" As Shirley asked, she stopped and looked at Yoshika, still terrified of things and not being able to talk. "Damn… Lucchini! I'm gonna take point again! Keep your eyes on Yoshika and take care of her. I'm keeping full focus for the enemy!"

"Okay!"

"Ready?! Let's go!" Shirley leads the other two to continue on their path…

**_Jonathan Irons _**_– This was it… I was entering the other world with the help of this gateway. And I'm almost through._

The Mobile Airship Atlas was on the move through the gateway together with two more assault airships following close behind. More infantry, weaponry and armor are on the assault airships.

_I always had in mind of making sure nothing from the city's defending forces would be left out. There's bound to be some resistance after the city is taken, however. And since there was plenty of reconnaissance material to use from the previous attempts to cross teams into the world, we practically have a map of the city._

Soon, Irons was able to see the situation over the city of Rome as the Mobile Airship Atlas, the force's flagship, had finally crossed through the other side of the gateway and into the new world. As soon as he was given new information especially of the communication interception about the city's military gathering at the coliseum, he issued orders. "Hold those initiatives on the attack for what's left of them. We'll wait for them to gather at the coliseum first."

"Yes, sir. Looks as if we bag this one easily." The captain of the Mobile Airship said that in response and started to issue the appropriate orders to subordinates.

"Captain, our more prioritized goal is to have our boys secure the outskirts. Block the enemy reinforcements from coming in and neutralize them. And hopefully those who were falling back from their HQ would run into the same trap."

"That's a better thought than usual, sir."

"Yes. If they don't back down now, they all die." Irons said that just before he remained silent.

ATLAS only had three battle tanks deployed, and each were driven to the city's outskirts. An armored column that joins in the defense of Romagna is on the main road. Scattering to engage the ATLAS battle tanks, they could only stand for so long against the more durable and powerful adversaries. The ATLAS battle tanks even have an advantage with anti-tank rockets, something the tanks in the 40's don't have at all. With the tanks of history easily dealt with, the main battle tanks pursue the enemy crew, leaving none alive in only a few minutes.

Minna was personally leading the flight to Rome with all members of the wing save for the three who were stuck in the city of Rome. Coming into radio transmission range of their earpieces, she tries to contact the three. And she gets no response. "I'm getting no response in there. I'm guessing the city's transceivers are down. Damn... I should have anticipated this..."

"That's the least of our problems," Mio Sakamoto, a Fusojin with a single eyepatch and possessing a sword strapped to her back, spoke as she flew right beside Minna. "Yeager, Lucchini and Miyafuji are still missing from inside the city. We should focus on protecting them."

"That's if we find them," Lynette said, bursting in the conversation suddenly. "I'm very worried... Yoshika... My friend is in danger!"

**_Earth 1... New Baghdad..._**

Major Cormack himself couldn't believe it as he was looking through his int-scope. As soon as Knox reported that there was a massive blue light acting as a hole in the sky, Command had reported the same thing, saying this could be a threat, and ordered the attacks on New Baghdad to cease. He was seeing airships coming into the hole in the sky along with aircraft and something made sense from this: Irons had another angle nobody else knew all these years after the initial KVA attacks.

Gideon just jogged and stopped just beside Cormack. "I've got Mitchell and Ilona to pull back. Mate... This is a mistake. We shouldn't have stopped with the advance."

"Much as I'd like to agree with you completely, this changes everything. If Irons was willing to dump his plans by leaving, then this plan of moving involved biding his time."

"What the fuck was he up to all those years then?"

"The attack in San Francisco... MANTICORE... If the world trembled in fear, then he could have won... But this?" Cormack sighs. "This is a completely unprecedented contingency he's done. But I agree on one thing with you. We could have taken it slow to keep attacking and defied orders, but that would make our unity waver. And I wouldn't want that. But... We wouldn't want ATLAS to bide their time as long as they got a major presence here..."

"Can't do anything out of our control. Well... Irons finally kicked the bucket and stepped up." Gideon groaned. "Well... Fuck me."

**_Earth 2... Romagna..._**

On the flight to Rome, Gertrude was patient as she lets the formation of the 501st dictate their pace. It was quick and they were flying low to keep their speed up. And as the city of Rome was in range of her own eyes, she could see the smoke as well as the burning buildings from different houses and military structures from the city's base. Looking at the holes in the sky, there were more airships than usual. "2 more airships?" She muttered that to herself. "Hold on, Yoshika. I owe you for saving me."

Minna was leading the flight entering the city's airspace when she saw two jet aircraft attempt to fly behind them. "What the-? Hostile planes!" And machine-gun fire was coming at their formation. All witches deployed shields and scattered. "All of you, pair up now! Sword and Shield maneuvers! Engage!"

"Yes, Ma'am!" The rest follow her orders.

Minna finds Hartmann and pairs up with her just as one of the jet aircraft attack. Hartmann absorbs it through her shield. Once the jet got in range... "SPIN!" Minna ordered it and they both changed positions. Armed with an MG 42, Minna unleashes a full automatic spray of rounds and was focused on the jet aircraft's cockpit. Her own intuitions and instinct were call correctly. The jet aircraft lost control and crashed. The other pairs have followed suit, being cautious as well as being defensive as they engaged jet aircraft coming their way...

Shirley was taking cover with Lucchini and Miyafuji when she heard a transmission on short range with her earpiece. "Come in! Sakamoto?!"

"_We got in range just in time, Yeager! Where are you?!_" Mio's voice was one of desperation and prudence.

"We're holed up in one of the houses and holding position! It's getting crazy with enemy armor getting involved now!"

"_Stay put and stay down! Is Miyafuji okay?!_"

Shirley looked at Yoshika, still at the same corner as she was for 15 minutes straight, still being accompanied by Francesca who was still trying to get Yoshika out of her trauma. Shirley frowns at Yoshika's condition. "No she isn't. But we're holding on."


	4. The Fall Of Rome

"The Fall Of Rome"

**_Yoshika – _**_I never thought I'd get to see the day that so much death would come... not from an enemy we knew, but with the humans who wanted nothing but everything for themselves._

_And deaths from our side meant a lot to them, didn't it?_

**_Earth 2..._**

**_City of Rome, Romagna, 1945..._**

More soldiers in defense for the city of Rome tried to intervene, but more reactionary squads from ATLAS just keep coming. Assault airships and drop pods were coming from that hole in the sky, and it will take a long while until it stops pouring down. And that would mean the total takeover of Rome... something most soldiers defending the city didn't accept. They only fought with tooth and nail. When usual tactics don't work, they even try to charge with a knife from behind, with some getting shot up, removing the arms and legs before dying out.

On ground level, Shirley, Francesca and Yoshika were experiencing what seems to be a massacre. For Yoshika, she could never forgive herself for being so helpless, but she's paralyzed in fear. Francesca soon was starting to break, seeing the reality sinking in that soldiers defending Rome were clearly no match for these invaders. Nothing is stopping these invaders from completely conquering the city. And it breaks her heart to even see it for her own eyes. Shirley even had to comfort her at a time like this while trying to keep quiet. Their cover might be good, but it's not always the safest one even if it's out of prying eyes.

"_Captain Yeager!_" Mio's voice came up from the earpiece Shirley wore. "_Shirley, respond!_"

"I'm here!" Shirley spoke just as she saw silhouettes of flying witches, with one being familiar to her... Mio Sakamoto herself who was flying in a striker unit. "Good thing you guys are getting close."

"_Just keep holding out. Assuming you're still in that same house, you're still safe._"

"Sure. We're here."

"_The 504th Aerial is here to assist, but I'm not sure if they're gonna be enough as backup._"

"Whoever Command will spare, let's just be glad they came. Do what you gotta do. We'll be here." Shirley sighs, now a little more relieved. "Besides our unit, looks like the 504th was called in to assist."

"Lynne..." Yoshika said that name after being silent for a long while now. Eventually, Yoshika was given an earpiece by Shirley before it was put on. Approaching the window, she could see Lynne was paired with Perrine Clostermann. Together with the rest of the unit, they were engaged with the huge airships in the sky. "Please... Be careful."

"**_TONNERRE!_**" Perrine uses a free hand to shoot out a straight bolt of lightning towards an airship's machine-gun port. Sensing that the voltage was so high that it could destroy the port, she figure that it could have killed the shooter as well. "Talk about overdoing it..."

"WATCH OUT!" Lynette covers Perrine with her shield after deflecting rockets and machine-gun fire from a passing aircraft. "Perrine...!"

Perrine didn't need to be told as she was already firing at the jet aircraft, eventually critically damaging its engines. "I'm as attentive as you want me to be, Lynette."

Minna's voice came to the radio. "_Listen up! The 504th has arrived to assist! We're on equal footing, but not for long! Keep pushing them back!_"

More explosions were seen all around the city on the perspective of the witches. Gunfire was more evident on some parts as ground resistance was weakening.

It was at least Francesca Lucchini who saw they were cheering for the arrival of the witches that she realized there was always a droplet of hope coming around. The couple who helped hide the three witches there watched as the battle ensues, both on the air and on the ground...

When Lucchini also remembered something about Yoshika telling Lynne to be careful, some hint of truth hit her. Why didn't these two hit their relationship deeper? She blushed the moment she remembered Lynne's chest size and how Yoshika loves big chests. Heck... Lucchini couldn't wait trying to grope Lynne's chest like how she does Shirley's. Sighing, she gets back to watching the situation unfold...

**_Irons – _**_I'm beginning to be tired of these witches. At least some type of admiration can be placed on them. Still... they hinder progress. And we had to move forward._

Irons made sure to give his orders at the bridge of the Airship Atlas again, making up his mind. "Turn our fighters back and make sure they're well taken cared for. Bring out every anti-aircraft launcher or emplacement you boys can set up. And make sure our airships prepare to fire too. Target these witches with fragmentation and airburst rounds. Their resistance... stops now." Irons orders this and everyone on the bridge gets to work and issues orders. Infantry units on the ground had their own anti-air launchers with different ammunition to aid on the attack against the witches, while the Airship Atlas had cannons to shoot out those missiles. "Align those cannons towards where the witches are. When in range, you're cleared to open fire."

_We've been holding back for far too long. Though we didn't suffer so many casualties on the ground, our fly boys need to be avenged._

"Add more airships to engage those witches. If we have to fire at a group at a time, so be it. I want them to not get back at us again." Irons said it and was serious about it. On his orders, he had other airships ready to fire cannons at witch engaging them directly.

As Minna was fighting with Hartmann and hears the 504th was planning to engage the airships by groups, something in her gut didn't feel right. "Junko, this is Wilcke! It's good to see you've arrived!"

"_Glad to assist. I already relayed orders to engage the airships._"

"What...? Don't engage directly-!" But Minna was too late. Several bangs from airship cannons were heard and missiles were flying right at the witches of the 504th. "No..."

And all MInna heard were actions of evading missiles from both the airships and other parts of the city. "It's a trap...! Junko, regroup!"

"_Negative! We're taking multiple hits from all around the city...! No, take evasive action from those missiles from the ground! Do you hear me?!_" Junko said that on the radio. And Minna assumed Junko was tapped to two frequencies at a time. "_Shoot them out of the air! No! Nakajima! Suwa is down!_"

And Minna was only hearing the 504th continuously getting shot at by airburst rounds and fragmentation rounds. It was just to blind the witches but also to hurt their internal organs. Minna realized Junko is losing her witches faster than she can give orders to them.

Minna grits her teeth as she scanning the horizon just a distance from the airships while being with Hartmann. "Junko, you're clearly taking casualties! Break away!"

Junko's communications are active but she isn't speaking for a reason. Radio chatter suggested that one of the witches, Patricia Schade, panicked on the losses suffered and began to retreat on her own. While Jane and Dominica had the same thought, the two weren't lucky and got caught in missile barrages before the two crashed as corpses attached burning strikers to the Earth. "_Flight Lieutenant Takei Junko responding… The 504th has suffered heavy casualties… We're no longer combat-capable… 501st… May you fare better than we have…_"

Hartmann heard the comms suddenly cut and she looked at Minna. "They've given up…"

Minna sighs. "Casualties mounting up to that many witches? This is just a battle of attrition now… So I can't blame them…"

"_Minna, come in. This is Barkhorn._" Trude called over the radio.

"Go ahead."

"_Intercepted a radio transmission. Multiple infantry squads from the roads and as paratroopers were supposed to come in from the north but communications were lost. Last transmission they gave included being bombed and shot down._"

"Confirmation?"

"_Mio helped me out while swerving around the enemy and we confirmed it. It's a massacre._"

"Damn it…" Minna muttered this to herself before the rest of the 501st were hearing sounds of morse code beeping into their earpieces. After a while, Minna was sure of it. The losses of the 501st and a major reinforcement from the north being destroyed was taken into account. "No… It can't end like this…"

Hartmann groans. "Already? Why are they telling us to retreat?"

"The losses are too great. This is clearly a battle of attrition now. We can't continue. Everyone, we're clearing out! Regroup on my position! Shirley, get ready for a pickup!" Minna said it before she started to look for a location that would be used as a pick-up point. "That park over there. Shirley, I'm sending you a reference point! Follow it to the location! You'll be heading to a park!"

"_Copy! We're moving!_" Shirley said it, and the sounds of her running were heard on the radio.

Shirley was making sure to keep Lucchini and Miyafuji active as they were moving away from the battle, having been told to head to the park as the pickup point. '_So the orders were clear, huh? This is gonna look bad… Everything with a loss like this is at stake now…_' "This way!" Shirley said as she made a turn with Lucchini just behind her. "There!"

As for Duchess Maria, she was brought to the bridge of the Airship Atlas by Ghost himself. She refused to keep walking once she got there, but she didn't need to anymore. Ghost simply kicked her knees and forced her to kneel.

Ghost then looked at Irons who was interested to know Duchess Maria. "Good thing we had a good look on her image. She looked like a citizen out there. But anyway…"

"I believe you," Irons said it just before kneeling down and looking at Maria. He only looked at her without saying anything to her. And just as she expressed her displeasure with that glare.

Maria made the initiative to speak to him first. "You'll pay for this."

Irons delayed his speech as he smirked at her. "Perhaps. I think you and I will have an interesting talk. But I'll give you a cliffhanger. There were three times that your city was poised to be reinforced in case the likes of us arrive. And they were all repelled. Now in the way we take lives, I think you know how many losses you've had."

Maria opened her eyes wide and realized the magnitude of what she's lost. '_It can't be…! No…!_'

Standing up to look at Ghost, he chuckles. "Good work. Now… Turn her in to be processed and have her under lock and key. Then take a break."

Ghost nods. "Debrief?"

"Just when you're ready." As Irons replied, he sees Ghost pick Maria up. She protests loudly as she was being taken away.

Shirley reached the park with Lucchini and Miyafuji. Hearing the native Romagnan cry as she realized the losses and the retreat order came was something Shirley should tolerate. A great loss for Romagna means this changes the game completely. With the Neuroi presence completely being ignored, the Allied Forces only had to think of this new enemy for a certain amount of time…

As for Miyafuji, she only had sadness in her eyes. She was helpless the whole time and could only sympathize with Lucchini who was crying.

Hearing a number of engines from above, Shirley could see Minna and the rest of the 501st were there. And Minna hovers down first followed by two more while reaching her hand out to them… Faces from a disconcerted Shirley, a sad Yoshika and an even lonelier Francesca who was crying only looked at their squadmates for comfort.

For 10 minutes they couldn't find any. But the three had no choice but to adapt as they abandon Romagna.

As the formation of the 501st flew away from Romagna, all the members were called on their radio earpieces by none other than Minna herself, who felt very unsettled with the news she's about to tell. "_Listen up… There's something I need to tell you… The City Of Rome has fallen, and official orders came as we were doing that pick-up… We're not going back on our stationed base. It's considered off-limits to us by Command. We're moving south to Sicily..._"

Meanwhile at an unknown location in the darkness, a single source of light was lighting up a table with two chairs across each other. There was one chair occupied as a seat… and was sat on by a blonde girl wearing glasses.

"Miss Hartmann," A man sitting across the girl called her out. "I'm sure by what happened, you understand how coincidental the methods are."

Ursula was looking down carefully at the papers presented to her… top secret in nature and not easily shown to just anybody. But she's looking at this with a fine-tooth comb, knowing most of the functions of the schematics presented to her. "Agent… You have to be crazy in even drafting something like this."

"Then let me rephrase it for you. You're here because you're considered one the best minds in magical instrumentation, including the improvements of all types of the striker unit."

"But what you're showing me is simply… bizarre. You're talking about cross-world travel… Using what?" Ursula asked, while adjusting her glasses.

The agent sighs. "Well that's a good question, is it?"


End file.
